For the third year in succession Peter baker had organised 5 days gas diving with Marine Quest in Eyemouth. As usual we travelled up on the Sunday afternoon for 5 night’s accommodation in MQ’s harbour side accommodation. Just as well the start was an early one next day, the target wreck was the St Briac.

The wreck is approximately 50 miles offshore and requires excellent conditions to make the trip possible. We awoke a little bleary eyed but hopeful and were greeted by good conditions. The sun was shining and the wind light, there was a small swell near to the inshore rocks, Skipper Iain Easingwood assured us we would soon leave this behind. Off we set on the three hour journey to the wreck site and as predicted the sea flattened. In excellent conditions we arrived on site and prepared to dive while the skipper placed the shot.

Located a short distance SE of Eyemouth, at 55.57N , 01.57W the wreck of U714 is a regular dive on the gas diving itinerary of Marine Quest.

A type V11 C U boat the submarine was launched in 1942, attacked by two allied warships and sunk by depth charge in 1945. The loss of all 50 crew members makes this a war grave and should be dived and treated with respect. Today the wreck is located in 56 metres of water on a shingle bottom rising approximately 5 metres off the seabed with a significant list to starboard.

After helping my Uncle Harry with the greengrocers round on a Saturday afternoons I was given tea and allowed to watch TV. It was during these brief Saturday afternoon viewing opportunities that I was first introduced to SCUBA diving. Sea Hunt was the first commercial underwater film series ever made. It featured a young actor Lloyd Bridges as the main character “Mike Nelson” an ex-navy diver turned underwater adventurer. Previous film of underwater activity had been limited to models in tanks or actors filmed through glass windows. Sea Hunt was true underwater action filmed with underwater cameras. I was smitten from that day on, although to a young boy who had just stabled the dray horse the technology seemed a world apart, I was determined to learn more.

Just over a year after my try in the pool I was off to Eyemouth for the 1st ‘proper’ dive, nerves reassured that Cathy would assign to me a trusty buddy. Although it turned out to be Alan ‘Silver Fox’ Sparham, 72.

After taking Alan, 84 to the disabled toilets and adjusting his truss we set off in a lumpy sea with a F3-4 wind. I, wisely, had passed on the haggis and black pudding. Cathy evidently had not done the same thing as she promptly started recycling breakfast over the side of the boat.